Why I grew dreadlocks

You might remember I had dreadlocks for about eight weeks back in 2007. Or maybe you’ve just seen the pictures. Or maybe neither.

Either way, I still hear about it and still get questions about it, which is by design. So here’s the simple version of why I grew dreadlocks:

My hair was already long. I knew I was about to cut it all off. I also knew I wouldn’t grow my hair out again, which meant I’d never get the opportunity again.

I wanted to see the reaction I got from it. People think differently of you when you have dreadlocks. That’s expected… but interesting, especially from a first-person perspective.

It reinforces my personality, my story, and reminds people they don’t have to be scared of crazy stuff. And as a result, I’ll always have a fun conversation topic. Like many things in life, it’s worth it just for that.

Would I do it over again? I’m not sure. But if I hadn’t, I know I would regret it now.